Wireless networks include wireless links that are typically subject to environmental conditions that influence performance of the wireless links. The environmental conditions include signal interference, transmission signal attenuation and transmission signal multi-path. Typically, the environmental conditions vary over time.
One type of wireless network is a wireless mesh network. Wireless mesh networks can be particularly susceptible to environment conditions because wireless mesh networks typically include more wireless links than other types of networks, and therefore, are more likely to include poor quality links.
One type of wireless mesh network includes packet networking. Packet networking is a form of data communication in which data packets are routed from a source device to a destination device. Packets can be networked directly between a source node and a destination node, or the packets can be relayed through intermediate nodes.
Communication through wireless mesh networks requires determination of routing paths through the wireless mesh network. Ideally, the determined routing paths are the optimal routing paths that include a minimal number of poor quality links. However, physical placement of access nodes may not allow for routing selections that do not include any poor quality links. The number of poor quality links can be mitigated by either adding access nodes, or moving existing access nodes.
It is desirable to have a method and system for verifying the reliability of a mesh network. It is further desirable that the method and system provide information allowing a system operator to modify the mesh network to improve the reliability and performance of the mesh network. The information provided to the system operator should be simple enough that the system operator can easily understand where problem links within the mesh network are located.